GLOBAL ENVIRONMENTAL FACILITY

PROJECT CONCEPT

REDUCTION OF ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT FROM COASTAL TOURISM THROUGH THE IMPLEMENTATION OF PILOT DEMONSTRATION PROJECTS, PROMOTING THE DEVELOPMENT OF SUSTAINABLE TOURISM POLICIES AND STRATEGIES AND STRENGTHENING PUBLIC-PRIVATE PARTNERSHIP

Countries:	Regional: (Western Africa: Senegal, Gambia, Nigeria, Ghana; Eastern Africa: Kenya, Mozambique, Seychelles, and Tanzania)
Eligibility:	The countries are eligible under paragraph 9(b) of the GEF Instrument.
GEF Focal Area/OP:	Contaminant Based Program (OP#10)
Project Title:	Reduction of Environmental Impact from Coastal Tourism through the Implementation of Pilot Demonstration Projects, Promoting the Development of Sustainable Tourism Policies and Strategies and Strengthening Public-Private Partnership
Implementing Agency:	UNEP
Executing Agency:	UNIDO in partnership with WTO
Total Project Cost:	US $ 13.5 million
Financing Plan (tentative):	US $ 4 million from participating Governments, US $ 3.5 million from Private Tourism Industries, US $ 6 million from GEF (including PDF-B)
Project Duration	5 years
Preparation Costs:	TBD
PDF-B Funds Request:	TBD
PDF Co-financing	TBD
IW Strategic Priority	3: Undertake Innovative Demonstrations for Reducing Contaminants and Addressing Water Scarcity Issues.
Project Brief Submission	2005

I. PROJECT OBJECTIVE

1. The objective of the Full Project is to address the negative impacts of tourism on the coastal and marine environment in Sub-Saharan Africa, as identified in the GEF MSP on the Development and Protection of the Coastal and Marine Environment in Sub Saharan Africa (GF/6010-0016) / “African Process” ^[1], through the implementation of pilot demonstration projects and promoting the development of sustainable tourism policies and strategies in a number of countries that participated in the “African Process”. The Governments of the eight countries were among the eleven governments that initiated and participated in the African Process. The Super Preparatory Committee meeting in Abuja, Nigeria in June 2002 and the Ministerial and Heads of State meeting in Johannesburg, at the sidelines of the World Summit on Sustainable Development (WSSD), organized by the governments endorsed the project proposal. The NEPAD Thematic Group meeting hosted by the Government of Nigeria in February 2003 with the participation of the countries also endorsed the tourism project proposal.

In particular, the coastal tourism project will seek to address the issues identified in the four (tourism) project proposals included in the Portfolio of Project Proposals ^[2], which were endorsed by the participating countries during the Second Phase of the “African Process”. The full project will be designed to engage the private sector and enhance public-private partnerships to enable formulation and implementation of appropriate national and regional policies and strategies for sustainable tourism development in coastal and marine areas, including a policy and strategy framework to guide and promote ecotourism development. In essence, the full project proposal will be designed to: - (i) implement pilot demonstration projects, (ii) provide appropriate policy and strategy frameworks to enable sustainability of the implemented demonstration projects and facilitate sustainable tourism development in coastal areas; (iii) build/enhance national capacities to sustain continuous implementation of activities implemented under the demonstration projects as well as strategies for sustainable tourism development; and (iv) establish a GIS-based information management system and database to aid decision-making in sustainable tourism development in the countries. The pilot demonstration projects will be developed to:- (a) facilitate the adoption and implementation of Environmental Management Systems and voluntary implementation of eco-certification schemes by tourism facilities; (b) alleviate poverty and provide alternative livelihoods to local communities through the development of eco-tourism and coastal use zonation schemes; (c) generate revenues for environmental conservation through eco-tourism; and (d) promote best practices in mitigating environmental impacts of tourism and conserve globally significant biodiversity through improved reef recreation management. The demonstration projects are also aimed to reduce the coastal pollution from the land-based activities in conformity with the Global Programme of Action (GPA).

II. GLOBAL SIGNIFICANCE

3. In most of Africa, as in most other regions, the tourism product is largely dependent on the natural resource base; that is, on the physical environment. The traditional marketing approach, at least in the coastal and island states, of selling “sand, sea, and sun” has resulted in the concentration of tourist facilities in coastal areas of the countries. This concentration of tourist facilities and activities in the coastal area, and the increasing dependence of most African economies on tourism earnings, has contributed to the degradation of the coastal and marine environments, as well as to dislocations in the social fabric of many communities. Thus, while tourism is popularly considered as an “environmentally-friendly” alternative to more exploitive forms of livelihood, which also has the advantage of providing an increased appreciation of the value of natural resources and the benefits of environmental protection, the expansion of the coastal tourism industry also entails the construction of hotels, restaurants, marinas and other infrastructure along coastlines, which in turn has direct environmental impacts notably through discharge of untreated wastewater and solid wastes into the coastal and marine environment..

4. In all of the countries participating in this project, tourism is an important and growing sector. However, the development of the different segments of the industry has thus far developed in an ad hoc and un-planned and uncontrolled manner. In most cases, little attention has been paid to the location of tourism infrastructure (in terms of set back limits) and the consequent impacts on the coastal and marine environment, or on the provision of adequate and necessary related infrastructure, such as sewage treatment facilities, water supply, roads, etc. Current unsustainable practices by most hotels (including lack of medium and long-term planning, poor site management, poor or non-existent waste water management, uncontrolled water consumption, excessive use of non-renewable energy resources, excessive production of solid waste and poor solid waste management etc.) are impacting directly on the health and well-being of the marine and coastal environment. Likewise, scant attention has been paid to regulating and/or controlling the impacts of other tourism-related activities based on the coastal and marine environment, such as diving, fishing and yachting. This general lack of a comprehensive and coordinated approach to the development of the tourism industry not only impacts on valuable coastal and marine resources, since the negative impacts of tourism on the environment also threatens the sustainability of the tourism industry itself, particularly in Africa where tourism is largely “nature-based” and dependent on a clean environment. Polluted beaches and general degradation of coastal zones will reduce the “attractiveness” of affected areas as tourist destinations and result in declining visitor arrivals and revenues.

III. BACKGROUND

5. The combined coastline of the 32 sub-Saharan states exceeds 12,000 km. and is rich in natural resources, including fisheries, oil and gas, as well as other minerals such as sand, limestone and diamonds. The coastline also has highly productive ecosystems including coral reefs, sea grass meadows, mangrove forests, estuaries and floodplain swamps, which provide protection and stabilization of the physical coastline, regulation of global atmospheric gases, and nutrient cycling. This abundance of natural resources and economic opportunities in coastal areas has led to very high rates of migration and urbanization over the past 30 years. The consequent growth of housing and urban infrastructure, industrial sites, ports, agricultural activities and hotel and leisure facilities, as well as activities such as mining of sand, limestone and coral to provide building materials, have combined to destabilize much of Africa’s coastal zone, increase erosion, smother habitats, deplete resources, pollute ecosystems, and reduce biodiversity. As a result of these impacts there has been a drop in economic opportunities and increasing poverty amongst many coastal communities dependent on natural resources. Coastal areas are facing a multitude of problems stemming from existing resource exploitation practices. In some areas, pollution levels are also threatening human health, directly through exposure to contaminants in coastal waters, and indirectly through accumulation of toxins in seafood. This pattern of over-extraction and overloading with wastes is likely to continue, if not intensify, in future. High rates of mineral exploitation in the region are causing widespread degradation of coastal areas with concomitant effects on living resources. In addition, poorly planned coastal development is leading to increased pollution of coastal areas of the region. The degraded quality of coastal waters and coastal landscapes seriously threatens some traditional tourist destinations and is becoming an impediment to further tourism development. Coastal development is also the dominant cause of the accelerating loss of many natural ecosystems and wetland habitats with significant but often unrecognized amenity values.

6. Countries in the Sub-Saharan African region are increasingly turning towards tourism as a viable option for economic growth. The natural beauty of the coastline, combined with favorable climate conditions, results in coastal tourism being an important foreign exchange earner for such countries as Gambia, Senegal, Mauritius, Mozambique, Tanzania and Namibia, while in the Seychelles, tourism accounts for 18.5% of the GDP and more than 70% of foreign exchange earnings. In South Africa, tourism generates more than US $ 1.2 billion dollars annually with over 20 million international and domestic visitors to coastal areas each year. Countries like Nigeria and Ghana are also beginning to emphasize tourism’s potential to contribute to economic and social development.

7. Despite the significant contribution that tourism already makes to the economies of some countries, tourism in the Sub-Saharan Africa region as a whole currently accounts for a small share of the global tourism market. However, despite present difficulties facing the global tourism industry, tourism in Africa is anticipated to increase significantly in importance during the next 20 years. According to the World Tourism Organization (WTO) international tourist arrivals to Africa as a whole grew at an average annual rate of 6.2% between 1990 and 1995, with above average increases recorded in the Southern African sub-region (24.2%) and Eastern Africa (10.8%), and it is anticipated that arrivals will continue to increase at an average annual rate of 5.5% per year until 2020. In the Southern Africa and Eastern African sub-regions growth rates are estimated at 7.5% and 5.2% respectively, while Africa’s share of global tourist arrivals will rise from 3.6% in 1995 to 5.0% over the same period. It is estimated that total international tourist arrivals to Sub-Saharan Africa, including the Indian Ocean, will increase from about 27 million in 2000 to 47 million in 2010 and to 77 million by the year 2020, with Southern and Eastern Africa (including the Indian Ocean islands) experiencing the fastest growth rates. This will further increase the pressure on the natural, cultural and socio-economic environments of popular destinations especially in sensitive areas in Africa. More intensified efforts to address sustainability in tourism development are therefore required.

8. The National Reports produced during the first phase of GEF MSP on the Development and Protection of the Coastal and Marine Environment in Sub-Saharan Africa, which were based on an integrated problem analysis, identified tourism as one of the sectors impacting on the marine and coastal environment in a number of the participating countries, and especially those where coastal/beach tourism is significant, such as The Gambia, Senegal, Kenya, Mauritius and Seychelles. It was also noted that in all of these countries the impact of tourism on coastal zones is expected to increase with the projected growth of the tourism industry. The need for a comprehensive and effective regulatory framework was thus highlighted in a number of countries that participated in the African process. In those countries that have already started to develop a policy and strategy framework for sustainable tourism, such as Seychelles, the need to strengthen such polices and strategies was identified as a key priority.

9. The impacts of the tourist industry on coastal resources result from all the sub-sectors of the industry, primarily the construction and operation of facilities. The sources that are directly attributable to tourism activities are categorized in the following table 1: -

Table 1: Detrimental Impacts from Tourism

Causal Factor	Source	Type of Activity
Waste	Hotels Cruise ships Yachts/boats Marinas Restaurants Laundries Shops Merchants/ vendors	Sewage disposal directly to coastal waters Sewage disposal to coastal wetlands Sub-surface disposal and irrigation of green areas using sewage effluent Solid waste disposal in coastal garbage dumps Solid waste disposal in unauthorized areas Disposal of used oils in drains and sewage systems Boat/engine operation and repair Inadequate sourcing of materials (food, products, etc.)
Recreation	Hotels Beaches Clubs Individual operators	Water sports Nightlife Noise Illumination of beach
Mechanical Action/ Physical Change	Hotels Marinas Piers/jetties /wharves Groynes / breakwaters Airports Roads / seawalls Boats	Land filling / reclamation Dredging Anchor damage and groundings Construction of facilities Beach construction Snorkeling/diving Sand mining
Resource Over-use/ Misuse	Construction Beach repair/ construction Craft production	Over-fishing Sand mining Thatch harvesting Coral harvesting
Beach Management	Hotels Public beaches	Over-crowding of beaches Removal of dune vegetation Construction of protective structures Raking (grading) Removal of sea grasses

10. In summary, these negative impacts of tourism on coastal resources utilization can be said to result from, or be exacerbated by a combination of factors, including: - (a) inadequate policy and/or legislative frameworks; (b) inadequate and/or ineffective planning and/or monitoring systems; (c) inadequate institutional capacity: and (d) low sensitivity and/or low level of awareness of resource users. In other words, coastal resources degradation results from a mixture of public sector system inadequacies and the actions of industry, developers, groups and individuals. It is for this reason that this project emphasizes the need for the development of public-private partnerships in addressing tourism impacts on the coastal and marine environment

11. At the global level, until relatively recently little attention was paid to the relationship between tourism and international efforts to promote sustainability and environmental conservation. For example, tourism is given little prominence in key environmental agreements and conventions, such as Agenda 21, the Framework Convention on Climate Change (FCCC) and the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD), although it was a central issue in the Barbados Declaration on the Sustainable Development of Small Island Developing States (SIDS). However, since then, tourism has become the subject of several official, albeit non-binding, international declarations, such as the UNEP “Environmental Programme of 1995 for the Travel and Tourism Industry”, UNESCO's “Charter on Sustainable Tourism” announced in Lanzarote in 1995, and the “Malé Declaration on Sustainable Tourism Development” adopted by the tourism and environmental ministers of the Asia-Pacific area in 1997. Another important initiative is the “Berlin Declaration – Biological Diversity and Sustainable Tourism”, signed by the environment ministers of 18 nations – including developing countries with a major stake in tourism – at the International Tourism Exchange (ITB) in 1997 on the initiative of the German Federal Ministry of the Environment. The Parties and Signatory States assume that the “central objectives of global environmental policies, namely sustaining biological diversity, climate protection and reducing consumption of natural resources cannot be accomplished without a sustainable development of tourism.

12. Most recently, the 2002 World Summit on Sustainable Development (WSSD) made specific reference to the tourism industry. For example, Paragraph 17 of the WSSD Plan of Implementation call for the adoption of initiatives to “enhance corporate environmental and social responsibility and accountability” including actions at all levels to: - (a) Encourage industry to improve social and environmental performance through voluntary initiatives, including environmental management systems, codes of conduct, certification and public reporting on environmental and social issues, taking into account such initiatives as the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) standards and Global Reporting Initiative guidelines on sustainability reporting, bearing in mind principle 11 of the Rio Declaration on Environment and Development; (b) Encourage dialogue between enterprises and the communities in which they operate and other stakeholders; (c) Encourage financial institutions to incorporate sustainable development considerations into their decision-making processes; and (d)Develop workplace-based partnerships and programmes, including training and education programmes”.

13. Paragraph 64 of the WSSD Plan of Implementation also specifically calls on countries to “Support Africa’s efforts to attain sustainable tourism that contributes to social, economic and infrastructure development”, including the implementation of projects at the local, national and sub-regional levels, with specific emphasis on marketing tourism products such as adventure tourism, eco-tourism and cultural tourism, and by assisting host communities in managing their tourism projects for maximum benefit, while limiting negative impact on their traditions, culture and environment.

14. Several initiatives are also being undertaken by various international agencies/organizations in the field of sustainable tourism in Africa, including UNEP, UNESCO, WTO, UNIDO, UNDP, UNCTAD, the Secretariat of the Convention of Biological Diversity (CBD) and the World Bank. At the regional and sub-regional levels a number of organizations are also active (to a greater or lesser extent) in the area of sustainable tourism, including the UN-Economic Commission for Africa (ECA), the African Union (AU), the Southern Africa Development Community (SADC), the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) and the Indian Ocean Commission (IOC), as well as some regional financial institutions such as the African Development Bank (AfDB). Some of these initiatives are already assisting to promote the implementation of relevant sections of the WSSD Plan of Implementation. For example, UNEP has launched a number of initiatives to promote the use of environmental technologies by tourism enterprises and through the Regional Seas Programme, to evaluate the impacts of tourism in coastal areas. UNIDO has an ongoing programme within the Country Integrated Programmes in Africa that is promoting the adoption of environmental management systems (EMS), environmental auditing and eco-certification/eco-labeling schemes in industrial sectors in developing countries. UNIDO has also undertaken studies on tourism in some developing countries producing tourism investment profile to assist the countries forge public-private partnerships, formulate appropriate policies and strategies and build institutional capacity for sustainable development of the tourism industry. The imperative of assuring a more sustainable tourism industry and, at the same time, increasing the contribution of tourism to sustainable development, is now a widely accepted challenge and any action by international agencies in this direction is positive. However, despite these initiatives, there is the need to develop a more coordinated approach to ensure that all aspects of tourism are being coherently addressed.

15. As a labor intensive industry, tourism also has considerable potential to generate employment and to thus contribute towards poverty alleviation. The contribution that tourism can make to poverty alleviation, to conservation of the natural and cultural heritage, and to overall sustainable development can be substantial according to the WTO document presented at the WSSD. However, in the absence of a consistent policy and strategy framework to promote sustainability within the industry, tourism can exert a wide range of negative environmental impacts. This in turn threatens the viability of the industry itself, which in sub-Saharan Africa is based overwhelmingly on the attractions of the natural environment, and especially in many countries the marine and coastal environment. The GEF OP #10 supports the implementation of demonstration projects or project elements that test the use of innovative policies or economic instruments, such as tradable pollution reduction allocation systems.

16. While the economic potential of tourism in the participating countries has led to a growing number of hotels and other tourism infrastructure in the coastal areas, most hotels do not practice sustainable environmental management practices. This is well illustrated by the fact that only a handful of hotels in Sub-Saharan Africa are currently certified under existing international eco-certification / eco-labeling schemes, such as “Green Globe”. There are also no regional and few national eco-certification schemes. The adoption of eco-certification and eco-labeling schemes with the tourism industry can assist tourism suppliers to identify critical environmental issues, speed up the implementation of eco-efficient solutions, and lead to effective ways of monitoring and reporting on environmental performance. At the same time, eco-certification schemes can provide direct benefits to tourism operators by identifying products that decrease the use of resources such as energy and water, thus reducing costs for the operator, while recognized “eco-labels” can improve marketability in increasing selective tourism source markets.

17. The Global Code of Ethics for Tourism was introduced by the World Tourism Organization in 1999 following over two years of consultation with the industry and was approved by the member states of the World Tourism Organization. The WTO has also initiated the development and testing, in a number of countries, a set of sustainability indicators on tourism.

18. The 46^th plenary meeting of the United Nations Economic and Social Council adopted Resolution 1998/40, which declared the year 2002 as the International Year of Ecotourism (IYE), and the Commission on Sustainable Development (CSD) subsequently requested international agencies, governments and the private sector to undertake activities in support of the IYE. More recently, paragraph 41 of the WSSD Plan of Implementation calls for the implementation of by countries of actions to…“Promote sustainable tourism development, including non-consumptive and eco-tourism….in order to increase the benefits from tourism resources for the population in host communities while maintaining the cultural and environmental integrity of the host communities and enhancing the protection of ecologically sensitive areas and natural heritages”. The activities undertaken during the IYE provided a focus and much debate on the positive (and negative) aspects of eco-tourism.

19. Ecotourism is an important and growing tourism niche market in sub-Saharan Africa that can play a positive in the promotion of sustainable development by: - (a) contributing to poverty alleviation by providing alternative, environmentally-friendly livelihoods, and; (b) generating revenues for environmental conservation through mechanisms such as park entry/user fees, landing fees, taxes on hunting and fishing, etc. However, in the absence of an effective policy and management framework ecotourism ventures may not always benefit local communities and may also have negative environmental impacts

20. The development of coastal tourism can also bring with it a number of resource use conflicts and environmental degradation problems. Coral reefs are among the most vulnerable and affected ecosystems, especially those of the Indian Ocean. The Country Reports (of the African Process) of the participating countries highlighted the degree to which coral reefs in the East African and Indian Ocean Region are under threat, both from climate change and other anthropogenic pressures, including those associated with pollution and tourism. This is an important issue for these countries as, besides their biodiversity value and role in protecting shorelines, etc., coral reefs. Coral reef degradation results in decreased visitor arrivals, with consequent loss of tourism revenues and increased poverty of coastal communities

21. Many African countries have started to recognize the importance of sustainably managing their environment and its resources, and most coastal states are party to relevant international conventions and have national policies and regulations for sustainable coastal development and use of marine resources. However, these efforts have usually been conducted at the national level and have not always been very successful as many of the environmental problems affecting the region are transboundary in nature. The result is that the pollution, for instance, from a country within the same sub-region that has not implemented sustainable management approaches, degrades the marine and coastal environment of the country that has adopted and implemented some of these environmental best management practices. Herein lays the need and justification for adopting a regional approach to solve the transboundary problems of marine and coastal environmental degradation, including the actual and potential contribution to such degradation by the tourism industry. A regional approach will also permit participating countries to share experiences and best practices in addressing “common issues” impacting on the coastal and marine environment.

IV. PROJECT DESCRIPTION

22. As has been outlined above, one of the main factors for the tourism industry having negative impacts on the coastal and marine environment is the lack of an adequate policy framework to guide and regulate tourism development. In order to assure effective participation of the private sector and local communities in sustainable coastal tourism development in the countries, the project envisages the building and strengthening of partnerships between the governments, private sector and communities in formulation and implementation of policies, regulations and strategies guiding coastal tourism development. The Full Project will, therefore, support the elaboration of appropriate policy and strategy frameworks to guide the future development of tourism within the wider context of integrated coastal zone management. Although the exact nature of the and components of the Full Project can only be determined on the basis of the results of this project development activity (PDF B), the primary components of the Full Project are likely to comprise:-

Ø Pilot demonstration activities to promote environmental sustainability within the tourism industry through implementation of Environmental Management Systems (EMS) in participating hotels, and the eventual establishment of national and/or regional Eco-certification and Labeling Programmes.

Ø Preparation of national ecotourism strategies and the identification and implementation of ecotourism pilot projects in the four West African countries

Ø Implementation of demonstration projects on Best Practices in Mitigating Environmental Impacts of Tourism and conservation of biodiversity through improved Reef Recreation Management in the four East African countries

Ø Development and implementation of sustainable coastal tourism (including ecotourism) policies, legal frameworks and strategies within the wider framework of integrated coastal areas management and institutional capacity strengthening and establishment of a GIS based Information Management System to support coastal tourism development in the eight project countries

23. The overall goal of the Project is to engage the private sector with the objective of formulating appropriate policies and strategies for promoting sustainable tourism, and to strengthen public-private partnerships in undertaking a number of demonstration activities to minimize negative impacts from tourism on marine and coastal areas, and especially on sensitive and vulnerable protected areas, thus ensuring the conservation of the globally significant biodiversity of the region. In addition, through linkages with other on-going tourism initiatives in Africa, the project will highlight the potentials and benefits of sustainable coastal tourism to the economies of African countries.

24. The anticipated four project components of the project will implement several activities consistent with the outcomes of the Tourism Working Group of the GEF MSP. At least two of these components (Component I and Component IV) are cross-cutting and may be appropriately implemented in selected countries in both regions (East and West Africa), whereas two components would be most appropriately implemented in selected countries in West Africa (Component II) and East Africa (Component III).

25. Component I: Demonstration project on Establishment and Implementation of Environmental Management Systems and voluntary Eco-certification and Labeling schemes:

This will be implemented in selected countries in East and West Africa where there is already a significant development of beach-based tourism establishments. As the tourism industry is driven by the private sector, with governments acting as facilitators through the enactment of favourable policies and regulations, the private sector has a responsibility to ensure that tourism development takes into consideration environmental conservation and management. The objective of this component is to promote public-private partnerships through the voluntary introduction of environmental management systems by coastal hotels in each participating country, with the aim of reducing and minimizing negative environmental impacts of tourism development in coastal areas and enhancing sustainable planning and management of the sector. This will be done through providing technical assistance and capacity building to participating hotels in the design, implementation and management of Environmental Management System (EMS). As a result of the envisaged course of action, hotels will be encouraged and supported in their efforts at introducing improved environment management practices. In addition to the positive contribution of these selected hotels to reducing the pressures upon the sensitive environment on which they rely, hotel establishments will benefit economically and technically from improved management in the form energy savings and the more effective use of equipment. The main stakeholders will be the participating (private sector) hotels and government agencies (including public utilities bodies). Stakeholder participation will be assured by the consultative arrangements established under the project, whereby each party stands to benefit from improved performances resulting from the introduction of environmental management systems. While the main focus of the demonstration project is on privately owned hotels, local communities will also benefit from increased purchases of local commodities by hotels, and also by lower demands on scarce water resources by participating hotels. The demonstration will focus on individual hotels that are privately owned and that are not part of a national or international hotel chain, and would endeavor to include a selection of hotels of different size and category in each participating country. Following the successful implementation of the demonstration project, participating countries will explore the possibility of establishing a network of ‘eco-certified’ hotels, whether a national network or eventually a Sub-Saharan Africa network. The long-term viability and sustainability of the project will depend on the extent to which national institutional capacities can be built through the implementation of the pilot project. Once these institutional capacities are established at the national level, the future financial sustainability of the proposed eco-certification programme will rest on the contributions made by participating hotels.

29. The following activities will be undertaken at the country level to achieve the objectives of this component: -

Ø Establishment of National Inter-Agency Technical Committee and sensitization exercise among hotels on the benefits of introducing environmental management systems, including economic valuation study and selection of participating hotels. This will include identifying “pilot hotels” to participate in the scheme on a voluntary basis. The identification of participating hotels should take account of location and size. In particular consideration will be given to environmental aspects such as the degree of sensitivity of the site (identified hot spots / sensitive areas). In the first place the project will focus on a relatively small number of ‘”pilot hotels”, with a view to eventually extending the scheme. In order to ensure that the project has relevance for the widest range of establishments, each participating country would identify different categories of hotels to take part in the demonstration (i.e. different sizes and quality levels). This component of the demonstration will commence during the PDF B phase.

Ø Undertake environmental performance auditing of participating hotels and conduct introductory training programme

Ø Design and development of Environmental Management System (EMS), including timetable for implementation. The process will be based on recognized international standards (such as ISO 14001), under the guidance and supervision of an independent third party. The EMS will also specify best environmental practices and best alternative technologies (BEP/BAT) to be implemented by the participating hotels for achieving reductions in the wastewater (mostly sewage) discharge flowing into the marine and coastal environment. In some countries the required expertise for formulating and implementing the EMS will be available at local or national level, while in other participating countries external technical assistance may be required.

Ø Implementation of agreed EMS. Each participating hotel will implement the agreed EMS, within the timetable, and with external technical assistance and guidance;

Ø Assessment & monitoring to determine achievement of recommended actions / steps. An independent third party will undertake continuous assessment and monitoring, in order to ensure the achievement of the recommended actions contained within the EMS. Preparation and submission of “evaluation report” to national / regional certifying bodies.

Ø Ongoing process towards achievement of higher standards, through a continuous and interactive learning process on internal and external communication and negotiation. The integration of issues to improve safety, hygiene, health and general working conditions are another component in promoting sustainable development. The process will also promote a greater awareness of the need to anticipate environmental problems, which will enable timely measures to be introduced so as to avoid future impacts. The most important outcome of the project is that it will promote a self-sustaining process that will lead to continuous improvements of standards.

Ø Preparation of “case studies” document for dissemination at national, regional and sub-regional levels, which may also be utilized as inputs into the broader policy planning process, accompanied by a series of regional workshops to discuss progress and lessons learned”.

30. The expected major outputs of this component are as follows:

Ø Published Environment Management Plan (including business plan) to guide hotel management practices;

Ø Measurable indicators for discharged water;

Ø Appropriate solutions / technology for managing wastewater;

Ø Staff trained in wastewater management;

Ø Preparation and application of measurable indicators for water and environmental quality;

Ø Publication of environmental performances;

Ø Completed water consumption audit and adoption of identified measures;

Ø Completed energy audit and adoption of identified measures;

Ø Alternative sources of energy identified and most appropriate technical solutions identified and implemented;

Ø Solid waste production evaluated and measures to minimize and/or rationalize waste production identified and implemented;

Ø Rehabilitation of habitats, including planting of endemic species;

Ø Appropriate “soft” landscaping introduced using endemic species

Ø Appropriate site management measures adopted to protect beaches and sand dunes from erosion and degradation;

Ø Environmental awareness courses conducted;

Ø New management practices being applied;

Ø Measures to reduce / re-cycle waste resulting from above implemented;

Ø Local sources of supply identified and changes in purchasing practices accomplished;

Ø Publication of codes of conduct for tourists.

The expected major outcomes of this component are as follows: -

Ø Hotels encouraged and supported by National Tourism Administrations (NTAs) in their efforts at introducing improved environment management practices;

Ø Reduced impacts from hotels on coastal habitats/ecosystems, and some coastal habitats rehabilitated;

Ø Enhanced productivity, health and amenity value of the coastal and marine environment through reduction of discharge of wastewater and waste from tourism facilities (implemented Environmental Management System);

Ø Enhanced national and in-house capacities for environmental management systems;

Ø Hotel establishments benefiting economically and technically from improved management in the form of energy/resource savings and the more effective use of equipment;

Ø Reduced foreign exchange expenditure on energy (i.e. fuel imports for energy production) and other inputs to the hotel industry;

Ø Increased purchase of local products by hotels, thus strengthening economic linkages with local communities.

Ø Improved image of participating hotels, with marketing benefits in environmentally conscious tourism markets.

Ø Greater awareness of the benefits of environmental management systems at the national and regional levels with impetus towards replication;

Ø Possibility of establishing a network of ‘eco-certified’ hotels, whether a national network or eventually a Sub-Saharan Africa network;

31. Component II: Identification and implementation of on the ground ecotourism and coastal use zonation demonstration projects at the national level in the eight countries:

The objectives of this component are to: (a) ensure the maintenance of the structure and functioning of ecosystems; (b) integrate and interrelate with other developments in areas where they are to take place; and (c) provide fair and equitable sharing of benefits of activities. It is envisaged that this component will be implemented in West Africa ^[3] where, in comparison with East Africa and the Indian Ocean islands, there is relatively little experience of eco-tourism activities. On the other hand, as a result of experiences gained in East Africa and the Indian Ocean islands, there will be significant opportunities for the sharing of expertise and experiences.

This component has two “sub-components”. The first sub-component includes the “Planning and Management Process”, while the second sub-component is the Identification and Implementation of Pilot Ecotourism Projects. The main activities of this component are as follows:-

Sub-component A. Planning & Management Process:

Ø Preparation and publication of general policy/vision statements for ecotourism development, compilation and review of baseline information, and assessment of the legislative and regulatory framework;

Ø Preparation of management process, including: - procedures for the review and appraisal of ecotourism project proposals; formats and steps for impact assessment; impact management guidelines; notification process for project approval; monitoring structure; certification scheme; and the organization of a national awareness and training programme;

Sub-component B. Identification and implementation of pilot projects

Pilot ecotourism and coastal use zonation projects will be identified in the course of the multi-stakeholder planning and management component. It is anticipated that such projects will be implemented as of year two of the project, and extend for another 3 years. The role of the public sector (Government) will be to act as a facilitator. The identification and implementation of realistic and viable “pilot projects” represents a challenge and a “risk”, insofar as effective sensitization will be a pre-requisite for gaining the support of local communities, who in some cases must be persuaded / convinced of the opportunities for ecotourism to provide alternative livelihoods. This in turn will depend on the successful implementation of the first component of the project through a genuinely “multi-stakeholder process. Another risk associated with the identification and implementation of “pilot projects” is that they must be financially viable/sustainable. However, providing local decision-makers and communities are involved in project design and implementation, thus assuring community ownership and commitment, and assuming that adequate training is provided, this should go a long way towards mitigating such risks. Once implemented, the pilot projects should be financially self-sustainable as a result of revenues derived from ecotourism.

32. The expected major outputs of this component are as follows:

Sub-component A. Planning & Management Process

Ø General Policy/Vision Statement for ecotourism development (where this does not already exist);

Ø Agreed national policy and strategy frameworks for promoting, guiding and regulating ecotourism development;

Ø Database of existing ecotourism activities and lessons learned (where this has not already been done), including the possible preparation of case-studies;

Ø Map of sensitive areas / protected areas, identifying potential sites for ecotourism development;

Ø Resource use assessment completed and indicators identified;

Ø Gaps in legislation identified;

Ø An empowered Multi-Stakeholder (Inter-ministerial) Ecotourism Committee (with mandate to implement the project);

Ø Guidelines for management process;

Ø Standardized format and procedures for cultural and environmental impact assessments;

Ø Procedures for management of impacts;

Ø Measurable indicators to identify limits for acceptable change;

Ø Established notification process for project approval;

Ø Established monitoring structure and certification scheme;

Ø Public awareness campaigns (to complement and supplement where this has already commenced);

Ø National and regional training programme conducted;

Ø Exchange of experiences / best practices;

The expected major outcomes of this component are as follows: -

Ø Ecotourism development guided by a policy and strategy framework that will have the broad support of all stakeholders (public-private-NGOs-local communities), which will ensure that ecotourism products and activities are fully consistent with sustainable tourism principles and benefit local communities;

Ø Strengthened national and local capacities of government agencies and other stakeholders (i.e. on biodiversity issues, impact assessment and management techniques);

Sub-component B. Identification & Implementation of Pilot Ecotourism and Coastal Use Zonation Projects (in selected sites in the four West African Countries)

The precise outputs of sub-component B cannot be easily specified at this stage, since the actual pilot projects to be implemented will be identified during implementation of sub-component A and will be dependent on local circumstances and specificities. The identified/selected pilot projects will however be designed to achieve a number of outcomes from the following: -

Ø Sustainable alternative livelihoods for local communities;

Ø Contribution towards poverty alleviation;

Ø Involvement and ownership by local communities in tourism development;

Ø Maintenance of local culture and traditions;

Ø Sustainable environmental management practices;

Ø Reducing / mitigating environmental impacts on sensitive areas;

Ø Generation of sustainable financing mechanisms / revenues for environmental conservation.

33. Component III: Implementation of demonstration project on sustainable reef recreation management for conservation of coastal and marine biodiversity in East Africa.

The objectives of this Component are to implement demonstration projects for sustainable reef recreation management, focusing on the relationship between recreation development in sensitive or affected coral areas and environmental issues. The main tourism activity that will be addressed in this project is the diving industry, which will require the active involvement of and partnership with private sector diving companies and tour operators. The specific objective of this component is the installation of mooring buoys in identified pilot project sites in the four countries, to protect coral reefs against anchor damage from diving and other recreational activities. Building on the opportunity of a regional dimension, these activities will demonstrate and share best practices in mitigation measures to protect endangered species, and will have a clear demonstrative value in that the lessons learnt while undertaking the project can be documented for use/comparison of the techniques used.

For sustainability purposes, the collection of fees and or donations can be included in the management plan as a way of raising funds to ensure maintenance and meeting recurrent costs of the project. Collection of fees can be another opportunity for education and additional donation collection. Often, when visitors realize the nominal fee charged for buoy use, is used for the maintenance of the same in addition to meeting recurrent costs, they will donate additional amounts to the programme. Similarly, some dive operators may also be willing to solicit donations from their customers for installation and maintenance of mooring buoys. This will ensure for the sustainability of the project in terms of its financial requirements.

34. The following activities will be undertaken to achieve the desired objectives and outputs of the component:

Ø Survey of sensitive areas and damaged sites to establish management procedures, including (i) the enforcement of legislation that will demand capacity estimations for specific sites and consequent restrictions of the leisure activities, and (ii) control procedures for enforcement;

Ø Procurement, installation and maintenance of equipment. Buoy equipment shall be identified, purchased and installed; a maintenance programme will be developed, and a sequential build-up to the required level of protection shall be offered through activities such as the documentation of use patterns and associated damage to justify mooring buoy installation, the development of a zoning plan, the rotation of available mooring buoys, and the installation of marker buoys around reefs to warn boaters of the navigation hazards;

Ø Capacity building, education and awareness; this component will pursue the implementation of education and communications strategies for the general public on basic marine ecology, as well as mooring buoy systems use, through local community education programmes and developed communication techniques;

Ø Regulation and enforcement, with a focus on securing adequate funding for boat patrols, issuing clear and consistent regulations, and implementing a strong education programme to aid enforcement by encouraging proper use of mooring buoys and compliance with protective legislation.

35. The expected major outputs of this component are as follows:

Ø System of mooring buoys in place;

Ø Regulatory framework for reef recreation in place and strengthened;

Ø Established regional network for harmonized procedures and enforcement and sharing of experiences and best practices

Ø Training materials developed

Ø Established institutional arrangements to promote sustainability of the project;

The expected major outcomes of this component are as follows:

Ø Coral reef damage will be minimized;

Ø Conserved and protected globally significant biodiversity through implemented demonstration project on coral reef management/marine protected area;

Ø Strengthened local capacity to enable expansion of the intervention at the expiry of this phase of the project;

Component IV: Strengthening Institutional Capacities, Policy and Regulatory Frameworks and establishment of a GIS-based Information Management System.

This component addresses cross-cutting issues and will be implemented in the eight countries in East and West Africa. This demonstration project will facilitate the development and implementation of activities to develop, promote and disseminate information for the sustainable planning and management of tourism activities in vulnerable coastal and marine areas and ecosystems of major importance for biological diversity. In particular, this component will contribute towards the development of an appropriate policy, regulatory and strategy framework and facilitate the strengthening of institutional capacities. The sustainability of this component will depend on effective institutional capacity building, both within government and the private sector. To this end, the implementation of the project will require external support mainly with respect to the provision of short-term technical assistance and training/capacity building. Government contributions will be mostly in-kind, in terms of allocation of personnel and institutional capacity.

26. The main activities to be undertaken during this Component are as follows:

Ø Development of national policy and strategy frameworks for promoting environmental sustainability in the tourism industry in a wider context of coastal zone management, with the aim of establishing the broad policy outlines and identifying the strategies that will be required in order to promote sustainable coastal tourism. It is essential that this exercise be carried out through a process of consultation involving all stakeholders in the industry, in order that the subsequent policy and strategy framework achieves national consensus and ownership, and to ensure inter-sectoral cooperation and effective implementation.

Ø Development of Guidelines (including comprehensive planning procedures and controls) to ensure future development of tourism infrastructure meets set standards with the aim of minimizing environmental impacts and promoting sustainability. These guidelines will subsequently govern the future development of the tourism industry in coastal zones.

Ø Establishment of legal and regulatory framework governing tourism development in the coastal zones, and requiring all tourism projects to undergo an EIA and environmental authorization. This will ensure that future tourism development in the coastal zones complies fully with the relevant guidelines and regulations.

Ø Capacity building to strengthen the role of national tourism authorities and tourism enterprises in promoting sustainable coastal tourism development. This will ensure that the relevant national authorities (especially tourism authorities) have the necessary expertise and institutional capacity to implement and enforce the relevant regulations and guidelines for sustainable coastal tourism development, and also promote consensus and cooperation between public authorities and the private sector. In addition, organizations and individuals that deal directly with tourists can play an important role in sensitizing tourists about how they can contribute towards the protection and conservation of the environment.

Ø Establishment of a Geographic Information System (GIS)-based Information Management System for promotion and dissemination of project activities/ results and sustainable coastal tourism development initiatives.

Ø Establishment of national and regional consultation and coordination mechanisms through a Regional Project Coordination Unit within the NEPAD Coastal and Marine Environment Secretariat and country Project Offices and Multi-Stakeholder Committees (Inter-Ministerial) Committees.

27. The expected major outputs of this component are as follows:

Ø Establishment of national (tourism) multi-stakeholder (inter-ministerial) committees, including representation from the public and private sectors and NGOs, to guide development of sustainable coastal tourism.

Ø Set of comprehensive guidelines (including planning procedures and controls) for future development of tourism infrastructure);

Ø Set of standards and design guidelines for tourist facility site planning;

Ø Harmonized regulatory and policy framework to ensure compliance with guidelines for tourism infrastructure and site management;

Ø Functional GIS-based Information Management System

Ø Established National and Regional Project Offices.

The expected major outcomes of this component are as follows: -

Ø Tourism development in coastal areas guided and regulated by clear policy and strategy frameworks based on principles of sustainability;

Ø Environmental impacts from coastal tourism greatly reduced and/or mitigated;

Ø Strengthened national capacity of national tourism administrations to promote the role of tourism enterprises in sustainable tourism development;

Ø Enhanced national institutional capacity for enforcement of guidelines and regulations related to tourism development in coastal areas;

Ø Development and strengthening of public and private sector collaboration and partnerships in policy formulation and implementation and institutional capacity strengthening;

Ø Functional national and regional coordination and consultation mechanisms.

V. SUMMARIZED FULL PROJECT OUTCOMES

The Outcomes of the full project would include:

· Established Regional and National Consultation and Coordination Mechanisms namely Regional Steering Committee and country Multi-Stakeholder (Inter-ministerial) Committees;

· Strengthened Institutional capacities and harmonized policy and regulatory frameworks supporting sustainable coastal tourism (including ecotourism) development;

· Established Environmental Management System (EMS) and voluntary private sector led and self-financing eco-certification and labeling schemes for tourism facilities;

· Strengthened public-private partnerships in sustainable coastal tourism management and implemented demonstration projects on reef recreation management and sustainable ecotourism development;

· Reduced discharge of untreated wastewater and solid waste by tourism facilities into the coastal and marine environment through adopted and implemented EMS resulting in appreciable increases of the productivity, health and amenity value of the coastal and marine environment ;

· Implemented demonstration project on coral reef management/marine protected area resulting in significant reduction in damage to coral reefs and facilitating conservation and protection of globally significant biodiversity through;

· Developed regional and national information management system supporting sustainable coastal tourism development in the countries and disseminated results of project;

· Empowered local communities through implemented demonstration project on ecotourism/ coastal use zonation scheme providing alternative/sustainable livelihoods and reducing poverty levels;

· Enhanced levels of awareness of private tourism operators and local communities on best practices for sustainable coastal tourism development, environmental and protection and biodiversity conservation.

VI. JUSTIFICATION FOR THE GEF PROJECT

Urgency

36. Sustainable management of coastal and marine resources for improved food security, water quality, and environmental security contributes to the eradication of poverty and hunger on the African continent. There is urgent need to initiate proactive, integrated and interdisciplinary measures to prevent further degradation of the coastal and marine environment from tourism, and at the same time to stop the physical destruction of critical habitats, arrest the overexploitation of living resources, redress the loss of marine biological diversity and protect threatened and endangered species that are themselves critical factors for the successful development of sustainable tourism in Africa.

Demonstrative Value & Replicability

37. One major contribution to both project sustainability and the transferable sustainability of the GEF contribution would be the demonstration projects to be implemented and their replication throughout and beyond the region. One of the criteria for selection and implementation of the demonstration projects is a clear definition of the potential for replicability of the lessons and best practices developed and evolved within the countries, region and globally. During the implementation of the PDF-B, a replication strategy will be developed within the context of the Nairobi Convention 1984 for Eastern Africa, as well as focussing on the replication in western African countries parties of the Abidjan Convention 1981. The GIS-based Information Management System would enable the easy dissemination of the best practices and lessons learned in project implementation to other countries and regions enhancing the potential for replication of the projects.

38 While the direct benefits of the demonstration projects will be at specific site levels (i.e. of the participating hotels and tourism sites/facilities), the projects will have an important demonstration value at the national and regional levels as it would provide an impetus to the wider application of sustainable coastal tourism (including ecotourism) development policies and strategies, including eco-certification and eco-labeling schemes within the hotel industry, improved reef recreation management, and eco-tourism ventures that promote sustainable alternative livelihoods and/or generate revenues for environmental conservation. As the above demonstration activities have been identified by the countries that participated in the African Process as priority issues that require suitable management options, the demonstration projects would, thus, provide these countries with a demonstrated clear management strategy. In this way, the chance of replicating the projects in other countries in Sub-Saharan Africa and even in other regions are quite high. The results of the demonstration projects would be widely disseminated including lessons learned and best practices to enable other countries to easily replicate the actions. The proposed pilot demonstration activities, thus, have a clear replication value, both in other sub-Saharan African countries and elsewhere.

Improved water quality:

39. By providing a framework for the reduction and elimination of pollution from tourism facilities in sensitive sites of global significance, the proposed project will contribute to improvements in quality of the global marine environment and the living resources that depend on “clean” waters and sustainable management practices for their survival. These objectives are fully consistent with the GEF strategic priorities in the international waters area.

Regional stability and security:

40. The formalization of the inter-country consultative and co-ordination mechanisms to be initiated and consolidated under the proposed project will ensure joint policies and actions on sustainable tourism and environmental management and contribute to the avoidance of potential conflicts and instability in the region. Furthermore, the proposed demonstration projects/activities on eco-tourism will provide alternative livelihoods for local communities that will lead to improved food security and promotion of greater socio-economic stability in the region.

VII. STAKEHOLDERS PARTICIPATION

41. The main stakeholders that will participate in the project include governments and parastatal agencies (including public utilities bodies), participating hotels and other tourism establishments, environmental and other NGOs, local government authorities and host communities. The Governments would provide office accommodation for the National Project Offices, organize and constitute the Multi-Stakeholder (Inter-Ministerial) Committees and also provide a representative from the Ministry of Environment to chair the country stakeholders committees. The Governments would participate in discussions for the harmonization of policy and regulatory frameworks and implement agreed policies and legal reforms. It is also worth recalling the governments of the eight countries have recognized the implementation of sustainable coastal tourism development policies and strategies as national priorities and have committed to the successful implementation of this project. In addition, all the eight countries, through their GEF Focal Points, have fully endorsed the formulation, submission and implementation of this project. Stakeholder participation will be assured by the consultative arrangements established under the project, whereby each party stands to benefit from the implementation of improved environmental management and performances. In addition to national bodies, it is anticipated that local, regional and international private sector tourism agencies would participate in the project, such as major tour operators, airlines and international hotel chains.In summary, at the country level, multi-stakeholder (Inter-Ministerial) committees will be established to coordinate project activities and ensure that decisions of the Steering Group are implemented in the countries. Composition of the multi-stakeholder (Inter-Ministerial) committees will include: -

Ø National tourism administrations;

Ø Tourism marketing authorities

Ø Ministries of Environment

Ø Ministries of Tourism

Ø Ministries of Land Use / Planning

Ø Town & country planning authorities

Ø Ministries of Industry

Ø Ministries of Culture & Heritage

Ø Ministries of Local Government

Ø National Parks Authorities

Ø Marine Parks Authorities

Ø NGOs

Ø Local Communities

Ø Hotel Associations

Ø Tour operators;

Ø Chambers of Commerce & Industry.

42. As has already been outlined above the project is the follow up of the “African Process”, and will contribute to the implementation of the Coastal, Marine and Freshwater Component of the Environment Action Plan of the New Partnership for Africa’s Development (NEPAD), and relevant sections of the WSSD Plan of Implementation. In addition the project will complement the activities of the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) related to sustainable development, biodiversity conservation and management of tourism and assist local communities inhabiting tourism sites to develop sustainable livelihoods from coastal and biological resources of tourism interest. The project also has broad links with international (and regional) programmes to reduce impacts on the marine and coastal environment, such as the Global Programme of Activities (GPA) to Protect the Marine Environment from Land-Based Activities, and the Nairobi and Abidjan Conventions. The project also has direct links with the Framework Convention on Climate Change (FCCC), by reducing greenhouse gases by reducing energy consumption and/or utilization of renewable forms of energy.

43. The project has linkages to the ongoing programme of the World Tourism Organization (WTO) Commission for Africa on Ecotourism & Protected Areas, which aims at the effective implementation of policies & strategies for sustainable tourism development policies and strategies”, as well as to the “Tour Operators Initiative”, an initiative developed jointly by the World Tourism Organisation (WTO), UNESCO and UNEP, in collaboration with a number of major tour operators. Wherever relevant and possible, the project will also seek to create linkages with initiatives being undertaken by private sector agencies (i.e. Green Globe), as well as initiatives being undertaken by regional and international tour operators and hotel chains to promote and/or introduce more sustainable management practices. The project also links directly with activities developed in most of the participating countries in connection with the International Year of Ecotourism (IYE), which has included the establishment of “ecotourism committees”. The existence of these national ecotourism committees may provide an initial focal point for the development and mainstreaming of the project. As the project is developed and implemented, efforts will be made to draw on relevant experiences from within the African region (and beyond), and in particular to ecotourism projects that have been implemented successfully. An effort will be made to identify relevant best practices, with the assistance of agencies such as the WTO, WWF and IUCN. To this end, the project will also seek to link with the ongoing WTO Study on the effectiveness of certification schemes, eco-labels and other voluntary initiatives related to the sustainability of tourism (See CAF/38/5 – WTO Commission for Africa, April 2002).

44. The present project will also closely liaise and establish links with the other existing and planed GEF projects in the regions both Western and Eastern Africa. These projects are: GCLME, CCLME, BCLME, Senegal River, Niger River, Volta River, WIO, and others.

VIII. IMPLEMENTATION ARRANGEMENTS

45. The project will be implemented by UNEP, which has undertaken a number of sustainable tourism and eco-tourism development initiatives globally (http://www.uneptie.org/pc/tourism/) and which currently has a large number of GEF International Waters projects under implementation.

46. UNIDO will execute the project. UNIDO and the World Tourism Organization (WTO) will enter into an Inter-Agency Agreement to enable WTO to execute specific project activities in its areas of comparative advantage. UNIDO and WTO will seek to build capacity of countries to work jointly and in concert with the regions’ other GEF projects, as well as bilateral and multilateral donors to define and address transboundary priority environmental issues within the framework of their existing responsibilities under the Abidjan and Nairobi Convention and within the framework of the NEPAD Environmental Action Plan. UNIDO, as the specialized agency of the United Nations in industrial development in developing countries and countries with economies in transition, is uniquely placed to bring together the necessary skills and expertise on industrial development and environmental protection essential for the development and application of integrated coastal zone management. UNIDO provides knowledge-based expertise on technologies for water treatment, waste management and cleaner production through its 3 relevant service modules: Environmental Policy Framework, Cleaner Production and Pollution Control and Waste Management. UNIDO, through its International Centre for Science and High Technology (ICS), Trieste, Italy, is also able to provide high-level technical training to developing countries on topics related to environmental management systems, eco-certification and labeling schemes and integrated coastal zone management. The WTO and UNIDO will ensure the identification and briefing of suitable sustainable tourism and ecotourism experts to work in the project, supervise their work, and establish the necessary links with the tourism business sector in Africa and in tourist-generating markets. WTO will also ensure the active participation in the project of the National Tourism Authorities of the participating countries. UNIDO and UNEP through its Tourism Programme, specialized units and its Regional Offices, will provide outreach to Ministries of Environment and related agencies, ensure technical assistance to industry, NGOs and public partners in environmental management and training systems and technologies, natural resources assessment, and identify environmental experts as required. Private Sector participation is crucial to the successful execution of this Block B. Representatives of National and Regional Tourism and Hotel Associations, the African Business Roundtable (ABR) and Chambers of Commerce and Industry will contribute to discussions on project design and implementation in the National Stakeholder and/or Regional Steering Committees.

47. A consultative ad-hoc inter-agency management committee consisting of UNIDO, UNEP, WTO, UNESCO, key donors and the Regional Coordinator would be constituted to ensure regular consultation, briefing and adequate feedback on project implementation and management. Most of the consultations of this committee will be done via teleconference/live internet chat using free software such as Yahoo Messenger or ICQ. It must be stressed that this is a management group and will not take decisions on the nature and content of the substantial outputs of the project.

48. The composition and functioning of the regional and national Scientific/Technical Task teams is judged crucial to the success of the Block-B Process, as they will be responsible for preparing detailed design and costed proposals for regional and national ecotourism demonstration projects, scheduled for implementation during the full project phase to rapidly address immediate transboundary priorities or threats to living resources and the globally significant biodiversity from tourism.

49. The Staff of the RSCC in the African Process Secretariat will backstop the implementation of all activities and will be responsible for maintaining a “regional perspective” in all country level demonstration projects.

IX. NATIONAL LEVEL SUPPORT

50. This proposal is supported by the eight proposed participating countries, which all participated in the GEF Medium Size Project on Development and Protection of the Coastal and Marine Environment of Sub-Saharan Africa / “African Process”. In the course of the Integrated Problem Analysis (IPA) conducted in the participating countries during Phase I of the GEF MSP, tourism and in particular hotel development in coastal areas was identified as a cause of environmental impacts on the marine and coastal environment, including most notably, loss and modification of habitats; costal erosion, and pollution (including solid waste). During Phase II of the GEF MSP, the Working Group on Tourism developed four tourism projects that aim at minimizing and mitigating such impacts of tourism development in coastal areas. The proposed full project is based on these four project proposals, which were subsequently endorsed by the of meeting of the Final Super Preparatory Committee of the African Process in Abuja in June 2002 and the Ministerial and Heads of State meeting during the WSSD in Johannesburg in September 2002. Each of the countries that will participate in this project have also individually endorsed the African Process Portfolio of Project Proposals and consequently defines these proposed measures as a national priorities in keeping with their respective national policies. The recent Thematic Group meeting of the NEPAD Coastal, Marine and Freshwater team with government representatives and some of the Ministers of the project participating countries in attendance also endorsed this proposal.

X. RISKS & SUSTAINABILITY

51. The project proposal is based on the assumption that the necessary political and institutional support will be provided by governments in participating countries and the participation of the private sector and local communities in the project sites assured. This will be critical since the project will require considerable government inputs, mostly in-kind and the participation and contribution of the private sector (mostly hotels, tourism management companies (DMCs), tour operators, dive companies, environmental NGOs, etc) and local communities in the formulation and implementation of the demonstration projects. The project will also require an effective multi-sectoral approach involving close cooperation and coordination between different government ministries and departments (i.e. those with responsibility for tourism, environment, land-use planning, public utilities, etc.), and equally close collaboration between such government and the private sector (and in particular with national hotel and tour operator associations) and NGOs. As the demonstration projects to be implemented would facilitate the promotion of eco-certification schemes and conservation of biodiversity around coral reefs enhancing their tourism values as well as providing alternative livelihoods (ecotourism demo), it is anticipated that all the pertinent stakeholders benefiting from these projects would sustain implementation of the activities. Built into the demonstration projects is the potential for charging user fees (for reef management and ecotourism demos) and certification fees (for EMS/eco-certification demo) thus enabling generation of funds to ensure self-financing of the activities.

52. The main risks are directly related to these basic assumptions, since in the absence of effective political and institutional support it will not be possible to achieve the necessary national consensus between competing agencies, and between government and the private sector. However, in view of the strong endorsement of the African Process Portfolio of Project Proposals made by participating countries (see Section IX above) it is anticipated that the required national level support and commitment exists. In addition, the strong participation of the private sector (African Business Groupings and Chambers of Commerce) in the development of the African Process Portfolio of Project Proposals gives positive indication of the willingness of the private sector to contribute in the implementation of the project. A number of the project components to be implemented under the PDF-B will contribute towards sensitization and ensuring adequate political and institutional support during the implementation of the full project.

53. Finally, the long-term viability of the project will require effective institutional capacity building, both within government and the private sector, in order to ensure the effective supervision of implementation of various demonstration activities and subsequent monitoring. It is for this reason that capacity building activities will be integrated into the PDF-B Phase. In terms of financial sustainability, it is important to note that the various demonstration activities proposed in the project (eco-certification, reef management, and eco-tourism) would be jointly implemented with the private sector, governments and local communities to assure country ownerships. In this way the demonstration projects would become financially self-sustainable, either as a result of savings and reduced costs as well as funds to be generated in assisting tourism facilities to formulate and implement EMS and eco-certification/labeling schemes, or else through the generation of revenues in the case of reef recreation management and eco-tourism activities.

Incrementality:

54. It is now widely accepted that the problems associated with coastal tourism development in sub-Saharan Africa and other developing countries are similar and require integrated solutions and partnership between different players (governments, private sector and communities). The problems relate to protection and effective resources utilization, to general environmental conditions in areas surrounding tourist facilities and in remote coastal areas receiving waste and contaminants from tourism facilities. Whereas most attempts by the countries indicate appreciation of the extent of the negative environmental impacts resulting from these activities, no single programme within the eight countries has addressed itself to the effects of these impacts on international water bodies. The significance of the water bodies surrounded by these activities has not been taken into consideration in some of the work that has attempted to solve coastal tourism development problems.

55. The proposed GEF intervention will show, through the establishment of the envisioned demonstration projects, how the current uncontrolled coastal tourism activities can be transformed into more organized, environmentally acceptable and sustainable operations. In each of the participating countries, the programme will aim at assessing the extent of pollution from coastal tourism, raising awareness and increasing knowledge of the tourism industry and the public, introducing and demonstrating the application of best environmental practices (BEP) and best available technologies (BAT), assisting the Government to put in place practical and implementable policies and legislation and building capacity to ensure continuous monitoring of coastal tourism pollution on the surrounding water bodies and on the globally significant biodiversity. This programme will also help to demonstrate to relevant Governments, the Private Sector and local Communities the approach towards reduction of pollution from coastal tourism. The absence of the proposed GEF intervention will not only allow the continuation of unorganized and unsustainable coastal tourism development and its negative effects, but will allow the incremental build-up of pollutants within the targeted international waters and its eventual transmission to other countries and regions.

56. The various actions and interventions to be undertaken under this project would, thus, facilitate closer regional collaboration in the reduction of the introductions of pollution from coastal tourism resulting in the protection of the international waters and globally significant biodiversity. It is recognized that actions undertaken at the national levels by the governments are not enough to ensure the protection of the shared international waters and globally significant biodiversity as the issues are of a transboundary nature thus requiring concerted and holistic actions of countries within the same geographic region. The resources needed for the execution of the Project are regarded as incremental costs and will be used inter alia for the strengthening of institutional capacities and development of monitoring programmes and in collaboration with participating Governments and Private Sector, development of policies and legislation that will lead to practical and implementable standards for coastal tourism development.

XI. PROJECT PREPARATION

Upon approval of the Concept Note, a PDF-B for the full project preparation would be requested.

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